Valve



c. w. LARNER 2,192,499

' VALVE March 5, 1940.

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VALVE Filed Oct. 1. 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s in two parts, an entrance section 1 and a dis- Patentcd Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED? STATES ATENT oFFicEf V VALVE Chester W. Larner, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October 1,

1938, Serial No; 232,774

9 Claims. (01. 137 139) the plunger cannot move without causing flow through'the pilot valve. But with elastic fluids, the plunger can move without such flow taking place, due to changes of volume of the fluid contained behind the plunger, these changes resulting from fluctuations of pressure in various regions of the valve structure. Ithas been found impractical to control the plunger-movement entirely by balancing or unbalancing the fluid pressures acting upon it. These pressures may be balanced in order to reduce the load on the op-v erating gear but means should be provided to lock the plunger and the operating'gear positively together so that the motion of the plunger is directly effected by mechanical force applied by means of the operating gear. One object of this invention is to provide a plunger valve having the aforesaid characteristics in which the plunger and pilot valve are locked together by exhausting'pressure from an internal chamber of the valve, thus avoiding the complications of mechanical locking means. Another object is to provide a valve of the plunger. type. particularly suitable for use with high pressures and high temperatures, due to the fact that none of the sliding contacts between the component parts are 'under heavy pressures as in the case of disc or gate valves, for example Another object is to provide a plunger valve for high temperatures, the internal parts of which may be water or air cooled.

Other objects will appear from the following description.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal crossse ction through a valve showing one form of my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction. s

I Fig. 3 is a view similar to Rigs. l and 2, showing another modification and including the external operating gear, which is omitted from Figs. 1 and 2. .7

In the valve shown in Fig. 1 the body is made body 2.

a lock ring 8.

charge section 2. The. internal cylinder 3 is connected by radial ribs 4 to a ring 5 which setsinto a recess in the body section 'I. This construction simplifies the casting of the body and internal cylinder and has another important advantagein that it makes it possible to use difi'erent metals for the body and internal. cylinder. The body is subjected to high internal pressure and must have ample tensile strength Whereas the maximum stress in the internal cylinder is compressive'due to external pressure and thereiore the tensile strength of the material is not important. 'It is.

important, however, to use a material suitable to preserve a smooth surface for the sliding fitwith the plunger at extremely high temperatures.

The plunger 2% is provided with a seat ring 6 which closes against a seat ring I inserted in the This ring has a slight clearance with the body, giving the ring a little flexibility which is of advantage in securing a tight closure of the valve. The seat ring 1 issecured in position by Plunger l is the same diameter as its seat as a result of which the areas of the plunger exposed to pressure on the upstream and downstream sides are substantially the same and if the average unit pressures are balanced the; l

plunger will have substantially no tendency to move in either direction as a result of these pressures.

The pilot valve 9 is shifted to and fro axially by the lever I0 pivoted at and having a forked end 66' which straddles the pilot valve'and fits into two flattened spots so that the circular end of lever it Works against the shoulders on' the' pilot valve as shown. Lever iii is moved by an external operating gear omitted, from Fig. 1 but shown in Fig. 3, and described in connection therewith.

Pilot valve 9 has a collar H which works as a piston in the cylinder 12, which is provided with a headv i3, thus forming an enclosed chamber;

This chamber, While the valve is being operated,

is vented to a region of low or atmospheric pressure through the'passage l5, discharging into the" chamber 16, which is exhausted to a drain or some suitable region of low'p'ressure, through'the pipe ll. Pipe I! is provided with a stop cook or valve which is opened only when the main valvev is being opened or closed. At all other times the discharge through pipe l"? is cut off so there is no objectionable leakage.

Cylinder I2 is connected to the pilot valve seat ring, 18 by means of ribs 59 so that cylinder 12 moves with plunger 211. It will thus be seen that the'full fluid pressure which is exerted againstcylinder head is whenever the valve is in use tends at all times to force cylinder head I 3 against the shoulder 21 on the pilot valve, this being due to the fact that pressure is reduced in chamber l4 whenever plunger 26 is being operated.

The pressures against the upstream and downstream faces of the plunger are substantially equalized when pilot valve 9 is withdrawn from its seat 22, the leakage coming into chamber 23 from the flow space 24 being discharged through the holes 25 in the downstream face of the plunger. is greatly in excess of the clearance space between the plunger and the internal cylinder through which the incoming fluid must pass. The plunger may be equipped with packing rings as shown in order to more readily'control the quantityof leakage but these rings must be loose enough to permit sufiicient leakage to operate the plunger or else a port or ports fi'l, shown in broken lines, must be provided for this purpose.

The seat ring 1 has a short cylindrical bore 26 which the plunger enters before seating on the ground seat 2?. This cuts ofi most of the flow before the ground surfaces touch and maintains them in better condition. It also serves in priming the downstream pipe line as will be described later.

To close the valve Discharge pipe I 'l is opened, dropping the pressure in chamber Id. Pilot valve 9 is moved in the downstream direction, by means of the external operating gear, the plunger moving with the pilot valve and maintaining the relation shown in Fig. 1, due to the fact that the pressure has been discharged from chamber I 4.

The plunger will move with the pilot valve, the two being held together in mechanical contact, by unbalancing the fluid pressures as aforesaid. This relation will continue until plunger 29 seats. Further movement of the pilot valve will then cause it to seat at 22, thus cutting 01? leakage from chamber 23. Discharge through pipe I! is then closed off and the plunger 20 is held against its seat by the full pressure of the fluid entering chamber 23 through the clearance space around the plunger.

To 7 open the valve Discharge pipe ii is opened, dropping pressure in chamber M. Pilot valve 9 is then moved a short distance in the upstream direction until shoulder 2i engages cylinder head l3. This permits all of the fluid leaking into chamber 23 to pass out through the ports 25 and prime the downstream pipe line. This will equalize the pressures on the upstream and downstream faces of the plunger but nevertheless the plunger will be held against its seat by a substantial positive pressure exerted against the cylinder head 13 and effective because of the low pressure in chamber l4.

If the fluid discharged by the pilot valve through openings 25 is not sufficient for priming purposes, a slight further movement of pilot valve 9 will unseat the plunger but still leave it within the bore 26. This will admit more fluid into the downstream pipe. When the downstream pipe is primed and brought up to full pressure the movement of valve 8 upstream is continued until the plunger has completed its stroke. The discharge through pipe ll is then closed.

If the main Valve is operated by hand, there is no objection to a hand-operated valve in pipe The area of the discharge passages 25 I? and this is the simplest arrangement. If, however, the main valve is operated by a motor under remote control, the discharge through pipe I! should preferably be out 01f automatically. Means for doing this is described in connection with Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 shows an alternative arrangement of the pilot valve which may be substituted for the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the pressure against the downstream face, of piston 28 is supplied by a' set of drilled holes 29connecting with the passageway 24 at apoint upstream of the plunger seat. This insures a supplyof pressure at all times when the valve is in use.

Pressure is exhausted from the upstream face of piston 28 by connecting chamber 39 to a region of low atmospheric pressure through a drilled hole 32 in the pilot valve 3i. This arrangement is designed for use when the internal cylinder 33 is water or air-cooled. Circulating water, for example, would pass through this chamber at a relatively low pressure and it is practicable to discharge chamber 36' into the circulating water as shown. If, however, the valve is not water-cooled, passage 32 is drilled through to the upstream end of pilot valve 3| and an exhaust pipe is provided such as I! shown in Fig. 1.

An auxiliary valve 34 is provided for the purposes of. stopping leakage past piston 28 and through ports 35 when both the main plunger and the pilot valve are closed. This construction is, in effect, a double seated valve which is generally troublesome to keep tight and in order to obviate this difiiculty the valve seat 3t is made thin and flexible so that the fluid pressure against it will hold it tightly against valve 34, and it is free to deflect slightly in both directions.

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the pilot valve just described in combination with a plunger having an outside fit on the internal cylinder. This, however, is not essential to the operation of the pilot valve as shown. It can be combined with a plunger having an inside fit as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 the internal cylinder 33 is cast in tegral with the body section 31, being connected thereto by radial ribs 38. The chamber 39 in side of the internal cylinder is not open to the passageway 24 as in the case of Fig. 1. The arrangement of Fig. 2 is designed to permit a supply of cooling water or air to enter through the passage 48 and discharge through the passage 4l.

No fluid can escape from chamber 39 into other parts of the valve or into the pipe line except through the clearance space 2 around the pilot valve and through the drilled hole 32. However, under all practical operating conditions there would be fluid pressure at the downstream end of these two passages which would than to permit a flow out of it. If the plunger were ever opened into an empty line, there would be a short period while the plunger was being unseated when there might be a tendency for fluid to flow out of chamber 33. This condition would obtain to a certain extent while the line is being primed but would apply only to the clearance space 412 which is packed with the rings 43. It would be only a very short time before the pressure in chamber 44 would be greater than the pressure in chamber 353 so the tendency to leakage would be in the other direction.

- balancing pressures on the upstream and down- The type of plunger shown in Fig. 2 is best to Figs. 1 and 2. The pilot valve arrangement of Fig. 3 is almost the same as that of Fig. 1,'the only difference being in the arrangement of the low-pressure chamber 46, which corresponds functionally to chamber i l of Fig. 1, and is exhausted through passage 41 which corresponds to passage 15 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3, a sleeve 418 is connected to the valve seat 22 by ribs 49 and therefore the sleeve moves with plunger 29. Collar 50 is screwed on the end of sleeve 48 and this collar is subjected at all times to full pressure against its upstream surface. Therefore, since pressure is exhausted from chamber it whenever the plunger is'in operation, it is clear that collar 59 will be held in contact with shoulder 5! on the pilot valve and that the pilot valve will be fully opened, thus stream faces of plunger 2!] at all times when the plunger is off its seat.

This is the fundamental operating principle of all the arrangements shown, namely, that whenever the plunger is oh itsseat it is effectively locked to the pilot valve and moved mechanically by the operating gear.

The operating gear consists of a rod 52 with a slot 53 out though it into which the flattened I end of lever I0 fits. In this way axial movement of rod 52 produces corresponding axial movement of the pilot valve. Rod 52 is threaded at one end and provided with a hand-Wheel 54 having a threaded hub 55 which is held against axial movement by a thrust yoke 56 made in halves and bolted to the housing 51 at the joint 58. With this arrangement it is obvious that turning handwheel 54 will produce axial movement of rod 52.

As previously explained, the exhaust pipe i! may be controlled by a hand-operated valve, if

desired. Fig. 3, however, shows an arrangement for automatically opening and closing pipe H by the movement of rod 52 and this arrangement is of advantage in connection with remote con- At the other end of the stroke .of rod 52, the

' the internal cylinden 6. Claim 1 further characterized in that one v end of the rod closes against seat 5| which like,- wise cuts ofi the exhaust from pipe I! and the leakage at 63. It will be noted that at this end of the stroke the plunger 20 and the pilot valve are also seat-ed. The difiic'ulty of seating the pilot valve and rod 52 simultaneously is overcome in this case bythe'fact that the pilot valve is heldagainst its seat by unbalanced fluid pressure and it is not necessary, to force it against its seat by-means of the operating gear. discrepancy in the seating of these two valves will be'taken up in the spring or lost motion in the ope ating gear. I I claim l. In a valve, the combination of a body supporting an internal cylinder, a plunger having telescopic relation to said cylinder and seating agaii ist said body to control the flow of fluid through the valve, a pilot valve to balance the pressures uwtream and downstream of the so that the movement of. the plunger is effected mechanically by said operating gear.

in avaive, the combination of a body supporting an internal cylinder, a plunger having telescopic relation to said cylinder and seating against said body to controlthe flow of fluid through the valve, a pilot valve to balance the pressures upstream and downstream of the plunger, operating gear for moving the pilot valve,

a pressure chamber, cooperating with the pilot valve and plunger, and means for exhausting pressure-from said chamber thereby tending to hold the plunger and pilot valve together in fixed relation so that the movement of the plunger is efie'cted mechanically by said operating gear.

3. Claim 2 further characterized in that the said operating gear is provided with means to 4 cut on the exhaust from saidlpressure chamber in the extreme positions of the operating gear.

(l. Claim '1 further characterized in that means is provided to circulate a cooling fluid through the internal cylinder.

5. Claim 2 further characterized in that means is provided to circulate a cooling fluid through element of said operating gear is a pivoted lever which engages said pilot valve and moves said pilot-valve axially of said valve.

7.. Claim 2 further characterized in that one element of said operating gear is a pivoted lever which engages said pilot valve and moves said pilot valve axially of said valve.

8. Claim 1' further characterized in that said fluid pressuremeans includes a fluid passage through said pilot valve.

9. Claim 2 further characterized in that said pilot valve contains a passage for exhausting fluid pressure from said pressure chamber.

' CHESTER W. LARNER.

Any slight 20- plu ger, operating gear for moving the pilot valve, and fluid pressure means to hold the and pilot valve togetherin fixed relation 

